Donetsk Oblast

Donetsk Oblast is an oblast (province) of eastern Ukraine with its capital at Donetsk. The oblast is located on the border with Russia, and the majority of its population of 4,356,392 people (2013) consists of ethnic Russians or Russian-speakers (74.9%). The region seceded from Ukraine on 11 May 2014 after a referendum resulted in the declaration of the Donetsk People's Republic, and the Ukrainian government moved its administrative capital to Kramatorsk after the separatists took over Donetsk city.